\’Derecho\’ storm takes punishing aim at 10 states

The derecho threat is back, and one in five Americans, or 64 million people in 10 states (possibly a 240-mile stretch), could be in its path.

A derecho, Spanish for straight, is a widespread and long-lasting storm that comes with fast-moving thunderstorms and rain, and also can bring damaging high winds, hail as big as golf balls as well as tornadoes. Weather forecasters have been warning that this rare weather phenomenon, which last year left a 700-mile trail of damage across the Midwest and mid-Atlantic, this time could hit a swath of states from Iowa to Maryland starting Wednesday. Watch a chilling roundup of what happened last year

How bad can it get? Wind gusts of 91 mph were recorded at the Fort Wayne International Airport in Indiana during last year\’s June \”super\” derecho storm.

Forecasters warned that power outages could also be a result — 3.7 million were left without electricity in the middle of a heatwave after last year\’s storm. The June 2012 derecho also killed 22 people, including an elderly lady sleeping in her bed when a falling tree crashed into her home. Tornadoes that have pummeled the Midwest this year have already killed 56 this year.

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